Friday, May 17, 2013
Passed by a 35-21 vote, the bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, who has not yet said whether he intends to sign it.
By a vote of 35-21, the Illinois Senate approved legislation on Friday that would allow doctors in the state to prescribe marijuana as pain relief for severe medical conditions. The bill now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn for his signature. According to the Chicago Tribune, the bill covers 33 specific conditions—including multiple sclerosis, cancer and HIV infection—and includes several controls, with a four-year trial program, dosage limits, fingerprinting, background checks and licensed dispensing centers. “This bill is filled with walls to keep this limited,” the paper quoted sponsoring Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton), who urged lawmakers to pass the legislation as a compassionate measure for those suffering with extreme pain. In opposition, Sen. …
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Gov. Quinn has declared a state of emergency in the wake of flooding throughout the Chicago area.
Governor Pat Quinn declared a state of emergency as state agencies prepared to provide assistance to local governments throughout northern Illinois dealing with severe river and flash flooding. The state of emergency ensures that state resources are activated and that the federal government is aware that a disaster declaration is likely. It also allows the state to request resources as needed, such as personnel and equipment. State and local emergency personnel have been on the ground in hardest hit areas since early this morning. "Heavy rainfall over the past few days has created dangerous flooding in areas across the state," Governor Quinn stated in a press release. "Everyone should stay home and off the roads if possible. To ensure …
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Residents of our state will soon have the right to carry concealed weapons in public, but that doesn't mean safety is guaranteed.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
With the bill legalizing same-sex marriage clearing the Illinois Senate, it's now up to the Illinois House to make it a reality. See how your local senator voted.
Illinois took a giant step closer toward legalized same-sex marriage with the passage of the marriage equality bill – SB 10 – in the Illinois Senate on Thursday afternoon. The Senate passed the bill – with 34 in favor, 21 against and two abstentions. The bill still has one hurdle left to clear when it goes before the Illinois House where it needs 60 votes to pass. See how each member of the Illinois Senate voted, by clicking on the pdf. If passed, the state law defining marriage would be changed from an act between a man and a woman, to two people. State Sen. Bill Cunningham (18th District) said he initially had reservations about the bill after attempts to pass it during last month's veto session. The Beverly Democrat brought his …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The bill will now move to the House of Representatives where it will have to pass committee and floor action before going to Gov. Quinn.
A bill to legalize same-sex marriage passed the Illinois Senate early Thursday afternoon, making a happier Valentine's Day for gay couples across the state. The Senate passed the bill—SB 10—with 34 votes in favor, 21 votes against and two abstentions. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives, where it will need 60 votes to pass. The bill will now go over to the House of Representative where it will have to repeat the same process before going to Gov. Quinn, who already voiced his support of the bill in a Chicago Tribune report. If passed, the state law defining marriage would be changed from an act between a man and a woman, to two people. "I've been told it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when it's going to be done," …
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Legislators in support of same-sex marriage have a long way to go, but the ball is rolling.
A same-sex marriage bill may be voted on in the Illinois Senate as early as Valentine’s Day, the Chicago Tribune reports. Sen. Heather Seans, D-Chicago, sponsored the bill in last month’s lame duck session, but it took until Tuesday for it to advance past committee action in a 9-5 vote, according to the report. The bill will now go to floor process where the entire Senate will consider its passage. Should it make it through the Senate readings, it will go before the House, where the process will be repeated. If it passes the House—a big "if," according to the Tribune—it then goes up for consideration by Governor Pat Quinn. Quinn recently told the Tribune he completely supports same-sex marriage. For more, read the Chicago Tribune report.
Friday, January 11, 2013
No determination of when the 10-judge panel will decide whether to look at last year's decision.
Illinois' attorney general Lisa Madigan has asked the entire 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to review a December ruling that overturned the state's ban on the concealed carry of handguns in public. The Chicago Tribune reports that the move is aimed at challenging the decision by a three-judge panel of the court, which ruled 2-1 that the state's longtime ban violated the Second Amendment. If the court accepts the petition, the case would be reviewed by all 10 appellate judges. If the court rejects the petition, Madigan would have to decide whether to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. "In ruling that Illinois must allow individuals to carry ready-to-use firearms in public, the 7th Circuit Court’s decision goes beyond what the U.S. Supreme …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Cardinal Francis George releases a strongly worded letter as the State Legislature moves closer to a vote on gay marriage.
As gay marriage moves closer to a vote in the Illinois General Assembly, Cardinal Francis George has released a letter attacking the notion of same- sex marriage itself and urging Catholics to voice their objections. UPDATED: Illinois State Senate members went home on Thursday without voting the bill up or down in the final days of the veto session, although a senate committee did vote in favor of the bill to allow same-sex marraige. Supporters are hoping the bill will be passed after new lawmakers are sworn in on Jan. 9, however, it may be weeks before the bill goes before the state senate for a full vote. The marriage equality bill's failure to go before the senate for a full vote on Thursday was credited to pushback from the Catholic …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
About 15 minutes after the polls closed, news media sources put Illinois in the Obama column, giving the president 20 electoral votes.
President Barack Obama won Illinois’ 20 electoral votes on Tuesday, defeating Republican Mitt Romney. Illinois, of course, was never in play. The only visit the president made to his home state late in the campaign came Oct. 25, when he returned to the South Side to cast an early ballot at the Martin Luther King Community Center. Obama is the first president to ever vote early in a presidential election. The Wall St. Journal and the Associated Press called the state about 15 minutes after the polls closed. The president's handling of the economy is a major factor in many voters' decision this year. "This election bears serious significance for our future," said Sheila Brady of Orland Park, outside her Fernway Elementary School polling …
Saturday, March 24, 2012
A statement from District 230 on a change to Illinois' teacher retirement system that would place additional financial obligations on local school districts.
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Saturday, March 24, 2012
A statement from Community Consolidated School District 230 The proposed shift in funding for the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) from the State to local school districts would be the largest unfunded mandate ever imposed by the State of Illinois on school districts. It would carry a $14 million annual price tag for District 230 and its taxpayers. It is important for the District 230 community to understand this issue and the potential impact that shifting the State’s portion of these pension contributions onto local school districts would have on our students and community. TRS pension covers certified employees including teachers, administrators, social workers, and counselors. Currently a TRS employee pays 9.4% of their salary into …
Dan Arenov
8:58 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Sounds like a blast. more ›